Denver Catholic

I 3 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I MARCH 19, 2014 Summer program sees changes, keeps mission BY DOMINIC NEDBALSKI This is the first in a five- part series featuring different Catholic summer activities for youths. One of the most popular Catholic summer programs in the Denver Archdiocese recently underwent some changes. Totus Tuus, Latin for "totally yours," the motto of Blessed John Paul II, became a staple in the Denver Archdiocese thanks to Father Kevin Augus- tine. The program encourages young people to dedicate their lives to God and live the motto of the soon-to-be canonized late pontiff. Entering its 14th year in the archdiocese, Totus Tuus will now be run by St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. Dan- iel Ciucci, the seminarian in charge of the program, aims to bring new enthusiasm to both teachers and participants. "It's exciting because we'll have seminarians being an integral part of the teaching force," Ciucci said. "It chal- lenges seminarians to use what they've learned in a co- herent way." The program started in Den- ver with just two teams of or- ganizers. Ciucci explained that Father Augustine continued directing the program until campus minister Bob Siemens took over in 2010. It was being run out of the Office of Evan- gelization and Family Life Ministries. Now, six teams of 24 people will span across 36 parishes in the hope of expanding the presence of Totus Tuus. And the program will be run as an apostolate of the seminary. "Seminarians are now going to be a systematic addition to the teaching force, which is new and exciting," Ciucci said. For Ciucci, Totus Tuus helped shape his future serv- ing the Lord. "Totus Tuus is one of the reasons why I entered the seminary. It's a beautiful work of the Lord," Ciucci said. "It's an incredible time of forma- tion, daily prayer and evan- gelization in the context of community." Teams are comprised of col- lege students (two men and two women) for seven weeks of teaching. The daytime por- tion consists of participants in grades one through six. Teams then teach a high school cur- riculum in the evening, talking about topics more relevant to teens. "You know how good of a theologian you are if you can teach first-graders," Ciucci said, only half-joking. "It re- awakens us to the real world." The fourth-year seminarian was brought in to play a co- ordinating role in Totus Tuus. His teams will focus on teach- ing the Ten Commandments and discuss the call to a life of sainthood. But they will also do some learning of their own. "It gives us a chance to have hands-on learning to be pas- tors because we have to train and hire the rest of the teach- ers that aren't seminarians," Ciucci said. Ciucci believes there is much to gain for those who help present Totus Tuus. "Our mission is to inform teachers," Ciucci said. "We take them and form them in the school of daily and inter- cessory prayer to empower them in the love of the Lord to make them disciples of all nations." Youth participants should be ready to be challenged spir- itually and to be open to God's call to whatever vocation the Lord has in mind for them. "We aren't looking to make priests or nuns," Ciucci em- phasized. "We want to form them in the school of daily prayer. Anytime that happens, they're more susceptible to the touch of the Lord. "Then he can make the invi- tation to follow him and we get out of the way." Totus Tuus can be life-chang- ing not only for participants, but also for the teams. "Teams really bond and take on a brotherhood or sister- hood that's more than a friend- ship," Ciucci said. Parishes sign up for the pro- gram through the archdiocese. However, all spots are currently filled for the summer program. Except at the individual par- ish level, no more volunteers are needed. Those interested in hosting Totus Tuus teachers at their houses can contact the youth minister of their parish. "We're going to the Eastern Plains, the Western Slope and all along the Front Range," Ci- ucci said, adding they plan to be present in all parts of the archdiocese. Next week's issue focuses on a camp whose mission is to integrate adventure and faith formation on 1,200 acres of wilderness in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. BY NISSA LAPOINT A state House committee unanimously passed a bill March 11 that will create an anti-human trafficking council to seek an end to its pervasive- ness in Colorado. The 11-member state Judi- ciary Committee passed the bill during a late night vote be- fore witnesses and lobbyists at the state Capitol downtown. House Bill 1273 has gained bi-partisan support in the House and Senate for its effort to raise awareness about Colo- rado's reportedly high rate per capita of sex slavery. The bill states it's a felony to knowing- ly coerce an adult or child into sexual servitude or commer- cial sexual activity. The Colorado Catholic Con- ference, the lobbying arm of the Church in state, supports the bill and encourages faithful to share with legislators their beliefs about the dignity of the person. "The Catholic Church be- lieves that human trafficking is a horrific and tragic crime against the basic dignity and rights of the human person," the conference stated in a re- lease. "Every effort possible must be used to end this crime; we all must work together— Church, state and commu- nity—to eliminate the root causes and environments that permit traffickers to flourish." The U.S. bishops are out- spoken about the tragedy of human trafficking. A day of prayer for survivors and vic- tims was held Feb. 8. Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, M.Sp.S., auxiliary bishop of Se- attle and chairman of the bish- ops' Committee on Migration, spoke on the national prayer day. "If just one person realiz- es from this day that they or someone they know is being trafficked, we will have made a difference," the bishop said. The bill must pass another committee before it goes be- fore the House for a vote. Information, visit www.co catholicconference.org. BY NISSA LAPOINT A Democrat-controlled com- mittee voted down a bill March 11 at the state Capitol that would support life from con- ception after a heated debate about federal abortion laws and women's decision to abort. The proposed bill spon- sored by Rep. Steve Humphrey, R-Severance, would ban abor- tion in Colorado in almost all circumstances, including in cases of rape and incest. "We are concerned because abortion could take the in- nocent life of human beings simply because (the baby) is in the way," Humphrey said before the final vote. "We ask for what is virtuous not what is convenient." The bill sought to make it a felony for a physician to per- form an abortion, punishable by a four- to 12-year prison sen- tence. The exceptions would be if a doctor performed the abor- tion to prevent the death of the mother or if the abortion was an unintended consequence of another medical treatment. The proposed bill garnered support from House and Sen- ate legislators including Reps. Perry Buck, R-Larimer; Justin Everett, R-Jefferson; Kevin Pri- ola, R-Adams; and Sens. Scott Renfroe, R-Weld; and Ted Har- vey, R-Douglas; among others. The bill came before the House Judiciary Commit- tee March 11 for a vote when pro-abortion and pro-life ad- vocates came to testify. Support from the committee was lagging when Republicans proposed amendments in an attempt to salvage the bill. One amendment sought to prohibit abortions for women at least 20 weeks pregnant—similar to the Texas legislature's abortion ban— yet it failed. The second amendment, which sought to make exceptions for the ban in cases of rape and incent, also failed. A vote on the bill without the amendments was then made. Lawmakers killed the bill on a final vote of 2-9. Two Republican lawmakers on the committee said they voted against the bill on consti- tutional grounds, as it conflict- ed with the federal Roe v. Wade abortion law. Capitol votes down abortion ban Totus Tuus: Opening youths hearts to God House to consider anti-trafficking council DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER FILE PHOTO BY JAMES BACA THE POPULAR Catholic summer program Totus Tuus mixes faith and fun for youths. This year, the program is increasing the number of parishes it serves. LOCAL NEWS

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